Cam actuated switch



NOV. 25, J BAlLEY CAM ACTUATED SWITCH Filed Feb. 6, 1957 FL M M I. T NA H w N MAM H P A w m 0 J M B United States Patent CAM ACTUATED SWITCH Joseph A. Bailey, Rockton, lll., assignor to Barber- Colman Company, Rockford, Ill., a corporation of Illinois Application February 6, 1957, Serial No. 638,553 3Claims. (Cl.200--166) This invention relates to a self-contained switch having a contact arm movable back and forth between different positions by a lever projecting outwardly from the switch housing and constituting the follower of a movable cam.

The general object is to provide a switch of the above character incorporating a novel means for enabling the follower lever to be adjusted readily relative to the actuating cam in order to compensate for manufacturing variations in the mounting of the switch housing and the cam.

A more detailed object is to form the follower lever in two parts normally connected rigidly but swingable rela tive to each other to adjust the position of the follower end of the lever relative to the cam surface.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description taken in connection with a accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a switch unit embodying the novel features of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the operating parts of the switch.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view of part of Fig. 1 showing a different position of the parts.

Fig. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the parts of the switch lever.

In the form shown in the drawings for purposes of illustration, the switch and its operating parts are mounted on a separate housing or base of insulation adapted to be mounted adjacent an actuating cam 11 which may as shown be of the open face type fast on a rotary shaft 12 journaled in a mounting separate from the switch. The cam has rises and falls engageable with a follower 13 which comprises the rounded end of a lever 14 having side shoulders 15 intermediate its ends fulcrumed at 16 on a post 17 rigid with and projecting from the base 10.

The switch shown herein comprises opposed contacts 18 and 19 fixed to the base and coacting with a contact 20 on the free end of an arm 21 fulcrumed at 22 on the post and swingable back and forth between the fixed contacts. If desired, such swinging may be effected with a snap action by stretching a tension spring 23 between a point near the free end of the arm 21 and the other end of the lever 14 which is adapted to swing back and forth across the longitudinal center line of the aim in response to transfer of the follower 13 from the low to the high part of the cam 11 and vice versa.

In accordance with the present invention, the lever 14 is formed of two parts 14 and 26 arranged in end to end abutment and normally joined rigidly by a device 27 which is adjustable manually to vary the angular relation of the parts and therefore the posiiton of the follower 13 relative to the cam surface in the final assembly. For this purpose, the two parts are generally L-shaped levers with the short legs 28 and 29 lying alongside each other "ice and the heel portions rounded and abutting each other to define a fulcrum 30 for permitting swinging of the legs 28 and 29 toward and away from each other and thereby vary the angular relation of the other or longer legs 31 and 32. The latter project in opposite directions from the fulcrum 30, the lever 26 being apertured at 33 and oifset outwardly from the long leg 32 of the lever 14 to permit the line of action of the spring .23 to be located in the proper position.

Preferably the levers are interlocked to swing relative to each other in a single plane. Herein, such interlocking is effected by notches 34 formed in opposite sides of the lever 26 at the fulcrum 30 and receiving lugs 35 formed on the end of the lever 14 opposite the follower 13.

The short leg 28 of the lever 26 is bent intermediate its ends as indicated at 36 so as to be spaced. angularly from the leg 29. A threaded hole 37 in the latter receives a screw 38 which extends through a hole in the leg 28 with its head abutting against the leg 28 thereby forming the fastening device 27. The force of the spring 23 urges the legs 28 and 29 apart so that by turning the screw 38 back and forth, the angular relation of the two levers 14 and 26 may be varied as desired in order to vary the spacing of the follower 13 from the axis of the cam 11 as indi cated by the positions of the follower shown in full and in phantom in Fig. 3. In this way, manufacturing variations in the location of the cam axis and the switch lever in the final assembly of the parts may be compensated for simply by turning the screw so as to bring the follower into the proper position for operation by the rises and falls of the cam at proper times.

I claim as my invention:

1. A switch comprising a base, switch elements thereon, a lever on said base swingable back and forth to actuate said switch elements, and a cam follower formed on one end of said lever, said lever comprising two L-shaped parts arranged in end to end abutment at the bends of the Ls with legs of the two parts lying adjacent each other but separated from each other, means defining a fulcrum for said lever across the line of abutment of said parts and comprising laterally spaced lugs on one part seated in notches on the other part, and a screw coupling said adjacent legs together at a point spaced from said fulcrum and rotatable in opposite directions to move the legs toward and away from each other and thereby vary the position of said follower for a given position of said lever.

2. A switch comprising a base, switch elements thereon, a lever fulcrumed intermediate its ends on said base and movable back and forth to actuate said switch elements, and a cam follower formed on one end of said lever, said lever comprising two L-shaped parts arranged in end to end abutment at the bends of the Ls to provide a fulcrum, two legs of said parts lying adjacent but separated from each other, and a screw coupling said legs together at a point spaced from said fulcrum and rotatable in opposite directions to move the legs toward and away from each other and thereby vary the position of said follower for a given position of said lever.

3. A switch comprising a base, switch elements thereon, a lever fulcrumed intermediate its ends on said base and movable back and forth to actuate said switch elements, and a cam follower formed on one end of said lever, said lever comprising two L-shaped parts arranged in end to end abutment at the bends of the Ls to define a fulcrum permitting of relative angular adjustment of said parts, two legs of the respective parts projecting in opposite directions from said fulcrum with the other two legs lying adjacent but separated from each other, means coupling said other legs together at a point spaced from said fulcrum and movable in opposite directions to 7 J3 swing said otherlegs toward and away from each other and thereby vary the, angular positionof said,. first,legs.

References Cited in the file of this patent 4 Schellens June 29, 1948 .Kuhn Nov. 29, 1949 Fillette Nov. 30, 1954 Cherry Aug. 7, 1956 Pearson Mar. 5, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS France June 20, 1905 

